• ViaSat, Inc. declined its market access grant to provide service in the United States using its proposed ViaSat-3 satellite at 79.3 degrees WL under authority of the United Kingdom on Jan. 10, 2014. As a result, the following frequency bands are now available for reassignment on a primary basis: 18.3-18.8 GHz and 19.7-20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth), and 28.35-28.6 MHz and 29.5-30.0 GHz (Earth-to-space). The frequency bands 28.1-28.35 GHz and 28.6-29.1 GHz (Earth-to-space) are available for reassignment on a secondary basis and 18.8-19.3 GHz (space-to-Earth) on a non-conforming basis.

• The FCC granted two applications from Iridium Constellation LLC to modify its authorization for its Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) satellite constellation. Specifically, the Satellite Division permitted Iridium to periodically operate additional satellites in tandem with existing satellites that become partially impaired and permitting a spare satellite to be positioned in a parking orbit at the mission altitude of 778 kilometers, approximately 30 kilometers behind one of the operational satellites in the Iridium constellation rather than in the currently authorized parking orbit at 645 kilometers. The frequency bands used are 1617.775-1626.5 MHz (service link), 19.4-19.6 GHz (feeder downlink and TT&C) and 29.1-29.3 GHz (feeder uplink and TT&C. (Also see the article "Iridium hotspot provides email anywhere" in this week's RF Report.)